Autumn's Newcomer
by One Frumious Bandersnatch
Summary: At the Fowl Manor, in Dublin, Ireland, a new maid is sent to work there. What if..what if..that new “maid” just happens to be an undercover agentassassin?
1. Prologue

**Summary**:: At the Fowl Manor, in Dublin, Ireland, a new English maid is sent to work there. What if..what if..that new "maid" just happens to be an undercover agent/assassin?

And what if Artemis falls in love with her??  
R n R plzzz!

**Rated**:: R, maybe PG-13, for..umm..suggestive ideas?..yeah you get the hint. ((hopefully)) and mild language ((heh heh))

**Title**: Autumn's Newcomer

**A/N**: Looks at freaky lawyers in big sunglasses Okay...okay…I don't own anything coughESPECIALLYTHOSESSUNGLASSEScoughhack. All I own is my character, Amalia Greenwich. Happy now?? freaky lawyers shrug and walk away Phew…that was close…sort of like that one movie…Close Encounters of the Third Kind… ;)

**Prologue**

"When I say I want something done, I WANT IT DONE!"

_Oh god. _I just rolled my eyes and sighed. "Whatever," I said.

You see, I work for an undercover agency called C19 7. I'm not really sure anymore whether this agency has good or bad intentions anymore…ever since we came under the new direction of a certain Miss Christine Magnoliana, or M&M for short. (That's what we all call her, but she doesn't seem too happy about it. I would be…I mean it COULD be a lot worse…this is ME we're dealing with.)

Anyways, ever since SHE became in charge, things took a turn for the worse. And I mean THE WORSE. When I first joined C19 7, things around here were much much much different. It was an honorable agency, one that looked out for the downtrodden and stuck up for those in need. Well, at least while Mr. Hampton was in charge. He was your typical bald, bearded, old guy that treated everyone like his own children. But then one day, he was gone. Just…I don't know…GONE. THAT'S when things started going down the tubes. Suddenly our organization started becoming more concerned about money. And assassinations. To get the money.

My name is Amalia Greenwich. I'm a rebel, I guess. Or that's what people tell me. I bursh it off, though. I have black hair with red tips on the bottom. My eyes are green and I'm only five foot, even though I'm eighteen years old. I joined the agency when I was ten, almost (but not quite) eleven. I came here when my parents, Liane and Henry, died in a car crash, along with my older brother, Patrick (or Pat, for short) and my baby cousin, Camille. I alone survived, left with a scar the size of the Great Wall of China. Well, actually it's the size of my thumb. It's shaped like a crescent moon; sort of a weird, twisted version of Harry Potter, eh? (Cool word…eh…)

"What's the mission THIS time?" I asked, trying to sound as bored as possible. I've always been known as the "smartass" of the group.

"Do not roll your eyes at me, Miss Greenwich. Please listen to what I have to tell you," M&M stated in a business-like manner.

"Okay, okay, I'm listening."

"Please sit. This may come as a slight shock to you, seeing as you have never left the Americas…however, nonetheless I feel obligated to send you on this mission." Leave it to **her** to go on…and on…and on…and on…

I waited.

"Beg you pardon, but the mission is…" I trailed off, expecting an answer. I'd have to be careful with my words at this point in the game; you never knew what she would threaten nowadays.

"Your mission is to capture and/or kill a certain Artemis Fowl II. He resides in the Fowl Manor in Dublin, Ireland. If you successfully pull off this particular mission, there could be a large reward in it for you and the agency," Miss Magnoliana said.

Rewards mean nothing to us veterans of C19 7. Everyone who has been here for at least a year knows that they never fulfill their empty promises (and bribes, possibly?) of "rewards". Everyone who's smart enough knows that the only person who actually gets rewarded in the slightest way is Miss Magnoliana.

"Before I agree to the terms, who is this… 'Artemis Fowl II?'" I questioned.

"He is a billionaire, and very much like yourself. He is about your age and around five foot seven inches tall. The rest you shall have to research yourself, Miss Greenwich." M&M replied.

"Done." This kid sounded like a potential hottie…he he.

"You shall set off on a private jet called _The Eternity_ tomorrow morning at exactly five o'clock sharp. From there you shall apply for the job of "House Maid" at the Fowl Manor. We shall contact you with further instructions."

Wow…this sounded pretty important…Miss M. rarely ever had the agency contact anyone…especially someone like me, so far away…

Looks like I had an adventure comin' on…

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**OK PEOPLE REVIEW!! WH-HOO! yeah....my first fic. Go me. Tehehe.**

**.gReeNeYedeLfguRL13.**


	2. Aboard 'The Eternity'

**Chapter 1**

**Aboard _The Eternity_**

I got out (reluctantly, I must admit) of the green Escalade I was riding in and gazed at my surroundings. The runway of the private airport was paved and painted with wide yellow dashes along the center. Torches lined the sides of the large area. It kind of reminded me of a Hawaiian luau I had been to when I was eight…except this was top secret…and aviator-style-ish…

An Arabic guy in a big black suit with big black sunglasses and a big black mustache pointed his finger towards the west of the runway. There was a stretch of pavement I hadn't noticed before, and on it sat a rusty orange plane with chipped blue paint on the side. I walked over, figuring since the Arabic guy (who's name was William, I found out later) and I were the only ones supposedly here, I had a few minutes since the alleged "take-off". On the side it said:

_The Eternity: May the Wings of Heaven Bless Her_.

I couldn't believe it! No frickin' way…is THIS the so-called "private jet" I was riding in? All the way to DUBLIN, IRELAND?! This thing was a bucket of bolts and rust at the very most. I peered into the cockpit and the passenger seat. They both had brown leather seats, which were ripped and torn at the seams, with cigarette burns all over. These seats had for sure seen better days. _And this wasn't one of them,_ I thought. I sighed. For the first time in a very, very long time I actually regretted going on a mission. The only other time I regretted a mission was that one time when I was fencing to the death on Big Ben…good times.

The sound of propellers and an engine igniting broke my short reverie. An old woman was sitting in the cockpit. She had really light brown eyes, almost gold, and short, white, wispy hair, mostly covered up by a navy blue, tight-fitting hat. She was wearing a tan jacket and a checkered green and red scarf; rose-tinted flight goggles sat on top of her head. She pulled them down over her eyes and told me to hop in.

"Well, let's get this over with." I muttered to no one in particular.

"Hello, dearie! My name is Evelyn. Evelyn Ampleshire. But you can call me Blue Jay. Nearly everybody does. I presume you must be…," she looked down at a crumpled piece of paper, "Amalia Greenwich?"

"Yes. That is me." I replied solemnly.

"Well, then we mustn't waste time dawdling, mustn't we?"

I didn't answer, but instead grabbed the green hat and blue-tinted goggles she handed me and strapped them on. I climbed into my dilapidated passenger seat just as the old woman gave a wild yell. I looked around frantically. _Have we been found out? What's happening? _I thought. Suddenly, I felt the plane lift a tiny bit off the ground. "Prepare for takeoff!" Mrs. Ampleshire cried.

_Great.__ I'm stuck in a rusty piece of crap with a crazy old lady for four hours,_ I thought at we jetted off into the sky toward (hopefully) Dublin, Ireland.

**Sorry about how short this is. The next few chapters might be a bit short. Sorry in advance. BUT KEEP REVIEWING BY ALL MEANS! Buahaha.**

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	3. So This Is Ireland

**Chapter 2**

**So This Is ****Ireland****…**

I watched the sun rise into the sky as we soared above the ground. _Maybe this isn't as bad as I thought…_

As soon as I got that thought out of my head, I immediately regretted it. We were sky-rocketing down towards a small green and purple area on the ground.

"What's happening?" I screamed above the engine.

"Oh, it's nothing! All we're doing is combining landing the plane and a little bit of fun!" Blue Jay yelled.

_God damn it…why did I ever DO this?!_

"When do we reach the ground?" I asked.

"Hmmm… I'd say in little under fifteen seconds now…fourteen…thirteen…"

I listened to the old woman count down the seconds. Seven…six…five...four… I braced myself for the enormous jolt I knew would come. And it came, alright. But it wasn't the spine-shattering, skull-crushing jolt I imagined…it was just a tiny one. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked everyone and everything that was out there listening to my desperate prayers. _Thank you thank you thank you!_

A watchtower was posted in the corner of the wide-open space we had landed in. It turned out that it was a field of wild grass and heather, about 6 acres of wide-open space. A slim, tall man stood at the top of the tower. He had a rifle in his hand, and when he spoke he had a distinct Irish accent. _So this must be __Ireland_ I thought.

"State your name and business! Or I will be forced to shoot!" he commanded.

I yelled across the field, "I am Amalia Greenwich and this is Evelyn Ampleshire. We're here for…" my voice trailed off. What WERE we here for? I quickly made something up. "My uncle's death in Dublin. Very unfortunate."

"That is very unfortunate indeed…what is your uncle's name?"

I racked my brain desperately, searching for an Irish name. "His name was Seamus. Seamus O'Grady."

"Ah…I see. Well, you may pass," the man said.

Blue Jay and I passed through the steel gate he opened up for us. Outside of it, there was an old, red Volkswagen double parked in the lot. _Isn't that illegal? _I brushed the thought aside. So was this mission.

A middle-aged woman climbed out of the driver seat. She was tall and had medium-length brown hair and brown eyes. "Hello, my name is Eileen Conors. Pleased to me you. I shall be your escort today…where is it you wish to go?"

"If you would be so kind, ma'am, the Fowl Manor, please." Blue Jay replied.

"As you wish," Eileen said.

We both piled into the backseat of the tiny car as it took off. The engine literally rattled. It was almost as bad as the PLANE for god's sake! We drove for about forty-five minutes when we reached a dirt road that didn't look like it was driven on very often. Five minutes later, we had reached a large, imperial-looking building.

"Ooh…what's that building?" I asked the woman.

"That there be the Fowl Manor." She answered.

"Ah."

The Fowl Manor.

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**Thank you to all of my reviewers out there! Like I said before, sorry about the short chapters. :( They'll get better, I promise.**


	4. The Fowl Manor

**Chapter 3**

**The Fowl Manor**

We reached the Fowl Manor around, hmm I'd say…noon? Yes, that's pretty accurate. When we got there, our "guide" seemed a little nervous.

"Well…I'll be goin' now," she said.

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Ampleshire asked.

"Oh, nothin' really…it's just…RUMORS…have surrounded this place for years. Just…be careful."

"I will." I told her.

I mean, I HAD to be careful…it was all in the job description. One slip-up and I'd be toast. French toast. With lots of syrup.

"I guess I'll be seein' you then…bye. Thanks for the ride."

"It was my pleasure. Good luck!" the woman said.

That was probably the last time I ever saw her. But, no matter. I had larger concerns ahead of me, such as:

What if I didn't get this job?

Who is this Artemis Fowl?

What "rumors" surround this place?

Do my socks really smell THAT bad? Jeez.

For now, I'd just have to focus on the job now, and worry later. (Which is easier said than done, trust me.)

I walked up as calmly and as boldly as I could to the gigantic front door. I smoothed the pleats on my short skirt as I stood there. I made sure my knee-high boots were tied tightly in neat little bows. I fixed my hair, rearranging the rogue strands that had come out of the messy bun. Then I tugged at my blouse, making sure it covered my midriff. Adults don't seem to like it much when it's showing, I've noticed.

I pulled the knocker and…

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

I waited.

I heard footsteps on the other side. A very, very large, muscled man answered the door. He slowly unbolted the large cherry wood door, and very slowly opened it. "Good day, Miss. How may I assist you?"

I turned around to see where Blue jay was. I was scared. I mean, wouldn't YOU be? Here was this guy about three heads taller than me and muscled like some Hercules dude. But when I looked behind me, no one and nothing was there. (…maybe my socks DID smell that bad…?) Not even any birds. _Whoa. Creepy,_ I thought. I looked down at the folded piece of newspaper I had acquired. It had the job listings in it and at the very top there was (wouldn't you know it) the exact job I was looking for. A maid at the Fowl Manor.

"Umm…yes. I'm applying for the job opening. As a maid. Here. May I speak with a certain…" I looked down at the paper. "Mr. Artemis Fowl II?"

"Yes, you may. But all of the job interviews must be done by me. My name is Dom, but I insist you call me Butler." The large man stated matter-of-factly. "Please, would you kindly follow me?"

"Okay…" I looked nervously around…

And walked in.

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	5. Interrogation

**Chapter 4**

**Interrogation**

Butler led me through a maze of hallways, rooms, and staircases. I trotted alongside him, trying really hard to keep up. We finally paused at a light purple room, decorated with fancy tables, chairs, couches, and shelves. There were two bay windows along the back wall. The room looked out on the dark green forest surrounding the manor. Butler pulled out a chair at a light oak colored desk, shuffled some papers, and pulled up a white chair for me.

I sat down as quietly as I could. For some reason, I felt that if I made a sound, even a single sound, something bad would happen. Butler put on a pair of reading glasses, and took out a black notebook and a ballpoint pen. Then he started the interrogation.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Eighteem," I replied.

"How tall are you?"

"Five foot."

Butler looked over my resume. "I see you have worked as a secretary? Where did you work? And how did it turn out?"

"I worked at the Intel offices. Eventually I quit." Actually I got fired. Oh well.

"Hmm...I see. Are you responsible and organized? Please answer truthfully."

"Well…I'm pretty responsible…I think…And I don't think I'm THAT organized…but I don't know…"

Seriously? How was I supposed to answer that? Ugh.

"Alright, that's okay," said Butler.

"Okay."

"Have you had any jobs equivalent to the job of a maid? A waitress or cleaning maid perhaps?"

"Yes. Both, Sir." Well, it wasn't TOTALLY a lie. I HAD impersonated both for short periods of time. That's okay, right?

"D you know how to fire a gun?" He asked. My eyes widened. What?! He chuckled to himself. "Just kidding."

"Well…" He took some notes and shuffled a few papers. "You seem worthy and eligible for this particular job. If you are interested, please sign here. On the dotted line."

I signed.

"Good…good…well I expect I should show you your rooms…and…I will let you know tomorrow whether you obtained the job or not! Come, follow me."

I followed him, once again, through a maze-work of rooms and hallways. We eventually reached one of the guest rooms. (I ASSUMED it was a guest room, of course.)

"This will be your room for the duration of your stay here, at the Fowl Manor. Dinner will be served in precisely one hour."

"Thank you." I said.

"My pleasure." He then walked out of the room, leaving me alone to contemplate what had just happened.

I timidly stepped into the room. It was, like, the meaning of the word vast. I looked at it, and that's all I could think of. Vast. Kind of like that one band. Except…I'm not sure if they're vast…that's just their name. There was a closet, a desk, a four-poster bed with green drapes, a chair, and a full-length mirror. Everything was made of dark cherry wood. The window looked out upon the forest. A rug was in the center of the room. It was beautiful, depicting a hunting scene on the shore of a green-blue lake. Everything was magnificent. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

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	6. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

**Chapter 5**

**Close Encounters of the Third Kind**

I walked around my new room…it was so totally awesome! _Rock on dude…rock on, _I thought. I got my suitcase out from behind the door and started pulling random things out of it. Such as:

1.) My Incubus CD.

2.) My headphones.

3.) Some string cheese my friend back home gave me.

4.) Pink fish-net tights. (Hmm…)

5.) My X-Men 2 DVD. (Hey, it was a good movie, okay?)

As you can probably concur, I was a bit scattered just then. With the duffel's contents spilled across the floor and the bed, I was rushing around the room putting stuff away and organizing (something rare, I admit). Suddenly I heard footsteps approaching. _Shit! This isn't good…did I not get the job or what? Was I SO bad that they're telling me early that I basically…sucked?_In my opinion, I was what you call "screwed".

There was a knock at the door. I hurried around to cover up and put away the embarrassing "necessities" I had brought along. As I rushed to the enormous door, I stopped at the mirror and patted my hair down a bit. You know, to look decent. Just in case I DID get the job. Or if I didn't…well, all I can say is at least I was going to fail looking good.

I grabbed the handle, turned the knob and pulled. And then…

Whoa.

Staring back at me were two of the clearest blue eyes I had ever seen.

"I presume you must be the new job applicant…" He looked down at a piece of paper, "…Amalia Greenwich? Yes, that's it."

I looked at him bluntly. Who WAS this guy? Talk about rude…he didn't even introduce himself yet!

"Soo…I'm assuming you're telling me about the job?" I said.

"No…well…yes. In a way. What I've come to state is that they think you will probably be one of the top choices, but as to the actual results…I'm sorry; I don't have them yet. Although you WILL find out tomorrow I guarantee." He replied. "Oh! Yes! How rude of me…I am Artemis Fowl…the second. Welcome."

"Hey. As you probably already know, I'm Amalia. Nice to meet you." I shook his extended hand and smiled.

"Well…ah…if you need anything…just let Butler know." Artemis suggested.

Seriously? Did this Butler dude do everything? Hm. Oh well, he was a hottie, though. Artemis, I mean. What would make it perfect would be if he liked rock. Hmmm…I wonder…?

"Well, if you will pardon me, I have some important matters to attend to. Please excuse me."

"Yeah…sure."

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	7. Of Rock and of Roll

**Chapter 6**

**Of Rock and of Roll**

Ah, well I guess I was off to a good start so far. I pulled my headphones out from the cupboard I had hidden them in a flurry to actually make my room clean. I pulled out my Incubus CD. Time for some ROCK…

I thought about the job I was applying for. I mean, I actually THOUGHT about it. What was I doing? If I really was good…why weren't they telling me right up front? And was the Artemis guy…no…no he couldn't be…

Was this guy my victim?

Noo…no no no…! Why me?! WHY ME?!!

I flicked through my CD and found my favorite song. I took the CD out and out it in the computer that was in the room. _Sweet…my own computer,_ I thought to myself. Well, technically it wasn't mine…but who cares? It was most obviously on loan to me as long as I stayed here, seeing as it WAS in MY room? I went to the Start Menu. I clicked on Programs and scanned the list. There it was!

Windows Media Player.

I laughed. This was getting better by the minute! I just want to tell you before I go on any further…I like talking to myself. It's a weird habit, yeah I know, but I can't out of it. Honestly, I really have tried! I just can't.

I started up Windows Media Player, switched the settings so it matched my taste (flames of course), and clicked on song number one: Megalomaniac. "YES!!" I yelled, then looked around thinking maybe there were cameras around. I didn't want to get caught looking like a retard.

"I wonder what the hell that means." I asked myself. So I decided I would find out. I clicked on Encarta Dictionary Tools and typed in 'megalomania'. Here's what it said.

**Meg.a.lo.ma.ni.a******

_Noun_

**greed for power: the enjoyment of having power over other people and the craving for more of it _(disapproving)_** **PSYCHIATRY psychiatric disorder with delusions of power: a psychiatric disorder in which the patient experiences delusions of great power and importance__**

Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2004. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

There you have it. Maybe I should burn this CD for Miss Magnoliana hehe.

So I contented myself with turning up the volume to almost Max on the computer and blasting my favorite song as many times as possible. I also sang along. (Another annoying habit of mine, I fear.) I started unpacking more stuff. I did it at a hurried pace, just in case any more people decided to randomly barge into my room. I put my zebra-print slippers under the bed, my pajamas at the foot of the bed, my clothes in the top drawer of the dresser, my pants and shorts and skirts and bottom stuff in the second drawer, and my "other stuff" under my bed. You know…just in case some dumbass decides to raid my room as a stupid prank.

I went into the bathroom and put my toiletries away in the cabinets and on the counter. I got my Pantene and Herbal Essences shampoos out and set them carefully inside the shower on a clear, plastic shelf. I looked around the room three times in search of any hidden cameras; I was unable to find any. (Thank God.)

I ran the shower, undressed, and stepped in. Hot showers are the best after a day of stressful top-secret agent work. Really. I began to think about weird stuff and the manor I was staying in. What if my room was haunted? Shit. I had to stay in a haunted room once; it was in this creepy lighthouse. Or, at least, I THOUGHT it was haunted. Yes indeed…if my room was already occupied by something unknown, I would certainly request a different room, as perfect as this one is at the current moment.

I heard my music blasting as I was rinsing my hair. _Did I leave my music on? That's funny…I remember turning it off,_ I thought, panicking. Maybe my room really WAS haunted. (Happy thoughts…happy thoughts…)

Or maybe my socks really DO smell that bad.

Oh well, whatever the case, I decided, hesitantly, to go turn the CD off and see what the problem was. I hurriedly stepped out of the shower and dried myself off. I pulled on a black tank top with a green and yellow flame on and a pair of faded light blue jeans. I stepped out of the bathroom to find…

My room really WAS occupied.

Just not by the undead.

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	8. Some People Just Don't Get the Hint

**Chapter 7**

**Some People Just Don't Get the Hint.**

I walked out of the bathroom to find music blasting, the computer on, and the room to be occupied by none other than…

Artemis Fowl?

Yeah…it was him alright…black hair, blue eyes, very tall, well at least to mean anyways, and eighteen years old.

"Um…hi?" I said.

"Hey. I just noticed that your door was ajar and I came in to check on you, but i onticed Mozart's Cliassical Collection in the drive on your Media Play—" he babbled.

I cut him off. "Really? Is that REALLY the reason? Please turn the computer off and get out."

"Justifiably I can understand your frustration, but really, Bulter sent me in to check."

"Okay then… You may stay. On one condition, though." I stated.

"Perhaps...this condition depends on many factors."

"Just…KNOCK before you come in…I'd really appreciate it…a lot."

"Oh. Of course! Sorry about that I just—"

Again, I cut him off mid-sentence. "Well, I really need to check my e-mail and make some calls so…" I mean, I didn't want to get rid of him, but he was just so obnoxious! Don't get me wrong, I'm not denying that I AM, but seriously. He was.

"I understand." He replied. Thank God! He understood I wanted him to leave. Hey, it wasn't the best ditch…but at least it was a ditch.

"You do?" I asked.

"Yes! Of course I do. I'll go sit down and be quiet."

Oh…my...frickin'…God. The guy couldn't take a hint! Even I'M better at taking hints than him…and I don't even take hints that often!! Wow.

"Umm…okay. Just…be quiet."

"I shall." He answered back.

Looks like this was going to be harder than I thought…

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**Sorry about the shortness. TO MY LOVELIES: REVIEW, LUVS, REVIEW!!**


	9. The Dark Side of the Bright Side

**Chapter 8**

**The Dark Side of the Bright Side**

I turned off the music and rubbed my eyes. Suddenly, I got this strange stinging sensation in my eyes. I looked down at my ringed hands. Oh shit. My mascara…

_Curse this foul concoction called make-up!_

I rushed to the sink and grabbed a towel blindly. _Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…_ I wet the towel and rubbed my burning eyes furiously. I sighed. _Now, THAT'S better. Whew!_

I turned around. Was someone watching me?? The hair on the back of my neck prickled. Yes…someone was DEFINITELY watching me. I set the towel down on the massive counter. I bet there's a camera…ooh, I bet there's a camera…

I peered up. There it was! A tiny silver camera peeped out at me from the corner of the embellished wall. Fowl…he is truly a criminal mastermind. Looked like my mission was going to be much, much harder than I anticipated. I mean, how was I supposed to hide a knife? Who KNEW how many cameras were around?! _Good question, _I thought. Maybe I should look.

I searched the shower, closet, and bedroom; I found two more. (And I thought **I** was paranoid…? Wow.) There was a miniature black one in the closet and a larger second silver one in the ceiling of my bedroom. Oh well…at least Fowl had his wits about him. But look at the bright side…his gadgets and gizmos wouldn't be able to save him when I had my knife to his throat.

My stomach growled. Hmmm…maybe a snack might help me think better. I heaved open the heavy wooden door to my bedroom and walked out into the hallway. I did a double-take. I have no clue why, but I just did. The air of the manor made me feel uneasy.

I took my time going down the circular staircase. I had never liked those. They got thin on the inside and I was always worried about falling, especially from great heights. I guess I was so concentrated on not losing my balance (or what I have of balance), that I didn't acknowledge the fact that someone was approaching me on the stairs. I ran smack into them and tumbled down the stairs. Luckily, I was almost at the bottom when I fell, so I wouldn't have too many bruises in the morning.

I looked up, all the while holding my head. "Sorry…sorry…," I muttered, not noticing who it was. I started to get up when my fellow collision partner responded to my grumbled apologies.

"Maybe you should watch where you're going next time. Oh yes, and I'm quite sorry, too. Sorry for the bruises, mostly." Artemis replied.

"Wh—What?!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The shock of it all sent me back to the painful sitting position I had landed in. Where was the I-Can't-Take-A-Hint Artemis Fowl II I had met a few hours before? Where did he go?

"I suppose I should probably help you up." He said icily.

"Yes, I suppose. I would appreciate that wholesomely." I said, trying to match his chilly politeness.

He offered me his hand and I reluctantly took it. After all, I couldn't kill him yet. Official orders. (Unfortunately, because I was DYING to get my hands around that neck of his.)

He pulled me up, and I brushed myself off. Artemis suddenly grabbed my wrist and yanked me close to him. _What is this?? _I wondered.

"I know what you're up to and let me tell you now. You won't succeed. I won't let you…if it's the last thing I do. Personally, I'd like to see you TRY to get past Butler." He whispered into my ear. I glared at him. _If looks were knives, he'd be to hell and back about 4 times, _I thought maliciously to myself.

He put his hands on the waist and pulled me closer. "My they have good taste in assassins nowadays." He examined me from head to toe. I glared at him in disgust. He let me go and strolled back up the stairs and away down the dark hallway. To his own room I guess. As for me, I glanced in the direction of the kitchen and frowned.

Suddenly I wasn't so hungry anymore.

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**DUN DUN DUNNNN......And the plot thickens! Wh-hoo. You guys know the drill..REVIEW.**


	10. Dreams vs Nightmares

**Chapter 9**

**Dreams vs. Nightmares**

I headed back up to my bedroom. I listened to Scandalous by Mystique. I paced. I washed my face. I laid down. I paced back and forth again.

He knows.

He knows! How could I have let my cover fall…? Does Butler, or Dom (?), know? If so…I would probably be on the road by daybreak. THEN where would I go?? Miss Magnoliana would never take me back. And another thing. When he had touched me, I felt this…thing. I don't know.

Do I have…FEELINGS…for…FOWL??!

This could NOT be happening. I wouldn't let it. No. No, no, NO! I'm the assassin here, the undercover agent from C19 7. I had to do something about this.

But could I??

What had I felt back there? Did I feel something for him? I couldn't. Never did. Never would. I HAD to do something. DING! It hit me. Maybe…maybe…if Artemis and Butler DID know what I was up to…maybe if I ACTED like I was a maid, and a friend, other people who heard about my real identity might be fooled into thinking it was a rumor or something. Yes! That was what I'd do, yes indeed. The fools.

Oh, sometimes I LOVE how evil I am!!

Now that my mind was all sorted out (well, mostly sorted out, I guess), I decided in order to carry out my plan fully, I should probably get some rest. I fluffed up the starched white pillow on the bed (I had thrown all the other tasseled and hemmed ones off) and lay down to sleep. Soon I drifted into a dreamland. The dreams were quite odd, as a matter of fact. It was sort of like a flashback.

**Flashback**

_A young girl of about the age of 11 rode about on a large black mare. The forests of the mountains surrounded the pair, engulfing them in the fresh, plush leafiness. The girl rounded the top of a hill and came across a meadow. She urged the mare into a canter, parting the white wildflowers as the pair sailed by. Up ahead stood a large white-washed stable. Behind it towered the farmhouse._

_The pair trotted into the pasture and the young girl dismounted. She took a piece of a leafy plant out of her pocket and took off the reins and bit on the horse. The majestic mare bit the leaf, pulling it gently but firmly out of the girl's hand. She giggled and petted the horse's white star on its forehead._

_She hooked the horse to the metal fence rail and walked toward the house. Just then, a woman came running out of it. She was screaming and crying out the young girl's name._

_"Head for the woods! Go!! GO!! BEFORE THEY FIND YOU! SAVE YOURS—" A gunshot rang out. _

_The young girl ran for her mare and hopped on. She grabbed the lead line and yanked it off of the iron fence rail. "Go, HURRY!!" she yelled. The horse took off at top speed. A man ran out and knelt by his wife's limp form. He sobbed and his shoulders shook violently. A person in a black mask walked up behind him and hit him in the head with the butt of their rifle. The woman's husband fell over, landing on top of his wife's body. The killer gestured to several other masked murderers and slinked off into the opposite end of the forest. _

_The young girl was watching the whole scene, horrified, at the fringe of the woods. She had dismounted from her horse and hidden behind a large bush. Something touched her back. She whirled around, barely holding back a scream. There, in front of her, stood another masked person. Only, this person had on a white and red mask, and was smaller and less frightening. The person leaned down and told the young girl, "Don't worry. I'm not here to harm you. Not at all. Just don't struggle and everything will be fine. I promise." The person took out a tranquilizer gun._

_"No!! NO MORE GUNS!!" the young girl shouted. The masked person covered her mouth and injected the tranquilizer into the girl's body. The girl gasped._

_Then everything went black._

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	11. Mixed Feelings

**Chapter 10**

**Mixed Feelings**

I woke up the next morning not exactly feeling refreshed, but not that bad either. I rested well, but the dream disturbed me. It was so familiar.

It was my story. How I became who I am. What I am.

It was a memory. Nothing more. I put it out of my mind. No point thinking of things in the past. It' no like we can actually go back and fix them. Instead, I thought of the present. How should I make my first move?

The answer is: SHOPPING. I could think of better things, but my mind was mottled with sleep at time.

Muahaha.

I put on a pair of tight, hip hugging capris and a black blank tight t-shirt. I combed my hair and put a black baseball cap over it. Perfect.

I headed down the stairs, towards the dining room, this time looking out for where I was going. I was met at the bottom of the staircase by Butler. "Congratulations! You've received the job position! You start in three days. Thank you so much."

"Oh, no Mr. Butler, sir, thank YOU." I replied, putting on a cheeky smile. Just then, my stomach growled noisily.

"Miss Greenwich, breakfast is served. Mister Artemis is already down there. He seems to be requesting your audience. Can't imagine why…" He walked off thinking to himself. Such an odd man, seriously.

I walked slowly down to the dining room. I could smell the bread and pancakes. Yum. Artemis appeared in the doorway of the dining room. "Oh there you are. I was just about to go looking for you."

"Well let's just be glad THAT didn't happen hmm? We could have had another…let's just say… 'mishap' on the stairs." I smiled sweetly, laughing internally at the biting sarcasm of what I just said. No matter, he damn well deserved it.

"Mmm…we wouldn't want that would we? No, no…instead I just need to discuss something with you. Please come inside," he said.

I followed him inside the magnificent dining room. There was an oak table in the center, looking out on the long driveway and an apple tree. The walls were red, painted with gold embossments. To put it simply: it was beautiful.

He pulled a chair out for me and I sat down, fighting the urge to slap his hand away from the chair. I CAN sit down myself, thanks. I started out the conversation after a few minutes of awkward silence. "Soo…what did you want to talk to me about anyways?" I noticed how he was wearing dress pants, a nice blue shirt, and tie. Fashion disaster? Oh, definitely.

"Erm…well, I…I just…I just want to apologize…for…last night. The falling on the stair part. So…sorry. I'm sorry." He muttered. This was most uncharacteristic of him.

This truly shocked me. An APOLOGY?? Coming from the I-Am-So-Great-Look-At-Me Fowl?! "Oh…well…apology accepted. I'm also sorry…about the stair part. I should have been paying more attention to where I was going. Sorry."

"Accepted." Fowl replied.

"Hey…listen…um, maybe to apologize fully…maybe…I know this sounds kind of stupid but, wanna go shopping today?" I asked. WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH ME?!!

"Oh. Well…I some erm business-very important matters-to discuss with ahem very important people. I don't believe so." He looked very uncomfortable at the prospect of shopping. Butler suddenly walked in.

"Master Fowl, the young lady is offering an apology...Why don't you go and get some fresh air. It will be good for you."

"Hm...Perhaps. I suppose I shall go."

"Ok! Meet you back here in ten!" I shouted over my shoulder. THIS was going to be fun.

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	12. SHOPPING!

**Chapter 11**

**SHOPPING!**

I went upstairs and put my eyeshadow, lipgloss, and mascara on. I wasn't a fan of make-up, but oh well. Today was special. A little foundation here, a little foundation there, a snatch of the purse, and I was ready to go. Oh wait! A spritz of perfume. NOW I was ready.

I practically skipped down the stairs. Shopping gets me in a weird mood…I don't know. (Maybe I'm just weird…?) Artemis was standing with his arms crossed waiting, leaning up against the door. His shirt was unbuttoned a bit and his hair was tousled and messy. I stopped in my tracks. I got this weird feeling in my stomach.

"What, is there something on my face? I thought we were shopping, not gaping mindlessly. Let's go. There's a chauffer waiting in the driveway." He said.

I swallowed and nodded. Suddenly I was at a loss for words. What's happening?? This isn't part of the plan!!

I walked the rest of the way down the staircase (tripping once on my sandal I must add). I opened the cherry wood door and closed it. "Lock the door behind you." Artemis shouted over his shoulder. I re-opened the door, locked it manually, ad closed it again.

"Happy?" I asked, annoyed.

"Yes, thank you. And yourself?" he asked, disturbingly sarcastic. I sighed. He was a pain in the ass, no way around it. I jumped into the Escalade Limousine. _Sweet, _I thought. Of course, I had to jump because I've always been a bit short for my age, but oh well. One learns to cope. What I HADN'T coped with however was the nervousness I still got around Fowl. He also took advantage of the knowledge he had of how I didn't want to blow my cover. (Obviously, he hadn't told anyone about my identity.) He patted the seat next to him. I threw him a look of disgust and sat down.

"You're lucky I'm doing this, Fowl." I grumbled.

"Doing what, Miss Greenwich?" he asked.

"Taking you shopping as an apology, that's what!" I snapped at him.

We sat in silence for about fifteen minutes. Something caught my eye in the strip mall we were passing. Was that…no…it couldn't be…but it was key…key to Fowl's fashion existence. It was…

Abercrombie and Fitch.

"Stop! Stop there!" I yelled, waving my arms.

The driver gave me an amused look and pulled into the parking lot of the A&F store. "My compliments Miss…I shall be here when you call, Master Fowl. Tah!" the chauffer said.

"Ever been here before, Fowl?" I asked.

"No, why…"

"Oh!! Then this is going to be even MORE fun than I thought!" I squealed. That was a first-I squealed.

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	13. That WasInteresting

**Chapter 12**

**That was…interesting…**

"Come ON! Let's go in!! It's not like the store's gonna bite or anything!" I yelled at him.

"No…I just…no." he replied. Obviously he had some reason for not going in, but he didn't want to say it.

"You're coming in, whether you like it or NOT." On "not" I yanked his am, causing him to lose balance and literally fall into the store. I started picking stuff off the racks and shoving them into his arms. "Ok, now this…definitely not your color…" I muttered to myself as I threw a yellow muscle tee back onto the rack. When I was finished, I pointed to the corner of the store.

"Alright, dressing rooms are over there. I'll wait on the outside and you're going to come out and show me EVERY…SINGLE…THING…that I picked out for you. None of this 'noo I'm not coming out' because I can and WILL make you come out, so don't even bother protesting." I stated matter-of-factly.

"Fine, fine…whatever…" he ducked into a fitting room. I waited impatiently outside the door.

"Hurry up…it can't take THAT long to put on a pair of pants…"

He walked out in a pair of baggy khaki pants and a black muscle tee. My eyes widened. He has a chiseled physique, very toned and muscular. He just rolled his eyes at my stare and said, "I am NOT trying on anything else. And that is final."

"Fine then I'll go pay for this. Hold on a sec."

I paid for the t-shirt and khakis and made Fowl put them on in the nearest bathroom. I told him at a mall, walking talking fashion hazards are a no-no. He just shrugged and ducked into the nearest restroom that we could find. When he came back out I was speechless again. I felt myself turn red; I turned away so I wasn't facing him. "C'mon," I said, (I looked down at my watch; TEN TO THREE??! WHERE DID THE TIME GO?!) "We still have to hit the movies."

"Must we?" Artemis asked.

"Yes, we HAVE to." I mocked. "What do you want to see?" I asked, ignoring what I think I heard him say under his breath. ("I always thought she was a bitch…")

"Er…I duno." He responded.

"Then we'll go see Van Helsing. Fair enough?" I suggested, still smarting after his remark.

"Yes. That's fine." He seemed distracted. "Ahem, Amalia…might I ask you something?"

"Yeah, go ahead." I was puzzled.

"If you're such an assassin, trying to kill me and everything, why haven't you tried yet? You've had many opportunities, certainly."

"Well, I…I'm not sure…I don't want to talk about my job…" I said nervously.

"Oh……alright. I understand." He said solemnly.

We bought tickets and went to the movie. It ended up being pretty good, actually. I quite liked it. We went to dinner afterwards, too. That was also quite nice. I enjoyed it…sort of. It was a bit…strange, but oh well. Fowl gave the Manor a cellphone call during dinner and told a random person (whoever picked up the phone and knew how to drive, I guess) to come pick us up. That's exactly what happened. The clockwork of the manor is so weird. I'll soon be part of it.

The black limousine pulled up into the massive driveway. The chauffer electronically unlocked the door and led us in. He left, heading for the servants' quarters. "Well…um…thanks for taking m to dinner and stuff. It was fun." I said.

"No, no…thank YOU. It was fun…I suppose." He said.

Suddenly I found that he just a bit close to me. My breath caught in my chest. "I-well-I gotta go to bed. I'll see you later…." I gave a tiny wave and started heading up the stairs to my room.

"I agree…me too."

We both met at the top of the stairs. "Well, good-night." I looked down.

"Good-night." He replied. He walked over to be and held me by the waist. "Thank you for everything." Then he kissed me. He pulled me closer and deepened the kiss. I felt his tongue beg entry, but I stubbornly didn't let it. As it was becoming quite passionate, he pulled away. I looked up at him.

"You could have killed me just then. Why didn't you?" he whispered huskily.

"I chose not to."

"Why?" he asked yet again.

"I just...I don't know. I chose not to." I insisted

"Oh. I see. Well, must go. Tah."

I stood in the hallway, the tips of my fingers touching my lips...what did I just do?!


	14. Clash Clash Parry Dash

**A/N: I own nothing but my character. But I stand proud. Sort of.**

**Thanks to all my lovely reviewers! [Even those ones declaring me a Mary-Sue] I would just like to say that my character is NOT a Mary-Sue because I HATE Mary-Sues. So why would my character be a Mary-Sue? And I promise you, the story gets better…WAYYY better.**

**TO MY LOVELIES:**

**Kayla Holsten: Just wait and see about the 'falling in love' part.**

**That Aerin: It's even more amusing writing this. Haha. I like the bio. It's very funny.**

**Alatira-Intelar****: I'm so glad you're enjoying it!! COOKIE FOR YOU! Yay. Major compliments on your story, too.**

**Bloody Vixen: My character is not a Mary-Sue. She actually is quite the opposite in my opinion. Your constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks. I assure you your suggestions will be put to use.**

**BACK ON YER STORY CHUMS!! AND YE BETTER REVIEW. NOOO flames. Well, flame if you want. It only serves to amuse me.**

**Chapter 13**

**Clash Clash Parry Dash**

ABOUT 1 MONTH LATER

Yes. Today is Halloween, the day when all the sluts go out in skimpy, skanky costumes and seduce people. ('Trick or Treat! wink wink'.) All of the Slutty People, all congregated together.

How I despised them.

This year, my costume would be a pirate, I decided. Good for keeping weapons at your side, because naturally everyone envisions pirates bristling with all kinds of weapons. Cutlasses, knives, axes, pistols, chains…the list goes on. A perfect opportunity to cut down Fowl in his steps.

As in, DANCE steps, that it.

You see, this is no ordinary Halloween 'Trick-or-Treat' Party. It's a masquerade. Miss M. managed to research it a bit ahead of time, scoring me tickets. She said that this would be a vital part in the plan. I will fulfill my duty, even if it means just being able to get Miss Magnoliana off of my back for awhile. How long, I can't really say. You never exactly know with her. She's more of the I-Try-To-Be-Mysterious-But-I-End-Up-Just-Being-A-Bitch type. Yes. That is her.

The plan for the mission to take place and be successful is to get into the Halloween Masquerade as a pirate. Of course, Fowl, with all of his advanced technology and wits, would probably figure out or had already figured out that I was going. If he did, it would work to my advantage. Let's say that Artemis Fowl II actually DID find out, and he actually DID get in… I would ask him if I would be able to have the pleasure of dancing with him, and hopefully he would not decline the invitation. Then, while we are whirling throughout the ballroom, I would pull a knife on him or shoot him. Or even better, put the barrel to his head and ask for his riches and threaten to pull if refused. Either way, I would have to be sure to make a quick get-away, and I mean quick as in the literal meaning of SCRAM.

Yes, this plan seemed flawless. Fool-proof. No one would expect what was coming. If Fowl did, he would not be able to move from the close quarters of the dance to dodge the bullet or knife. No. It seemed in my mind that this plan was unstoppable. Invincible, the assassination inevitable. The pay would be enormous, of course. I would be rich! Filthy, bloody rich! Hey, I might even be able to go home and settle down, forgetting my life of crime. Maybe even start a family. Who knows? Yes, indeed, this plan was excellent.

Except for one little, miniscule detail. More like event, actually.

Last night.

I had admitted to Fowl that I had feelings for him, a big no-no in the business of C19 7. I had broken the final rule that was of utmost importance: Show no feeling for the victim. In other words, 'Kill or be killed.' I could not afford to be killed. No one can, as a matter of fact. I had only one option: to kill. Fulfill my promise to the agency. Besides…the results would be grand. If I wasn't caught, that is.

I tried to push last night's events toward the back of my head. To block them out. Forget them. Leave them in the dust. But I just couldn't. What was wrong with me?! I am so used to dealing with matters such as these and then some Victim happens along and I yearn for his touch?! I gasped. I couldn't believe I just said that, admitted that, to myself. Yearn for his touch?!! _I do NOT, _I thought indignantly. But my thoughts wandered again. To last night, that fateful night. How his kisses had sent shivers down my spine. How they had affected me in a way that was unknown at the time. The more I thought this over, the more I wanted more of his kisses and gentle caresses. _No! This can't be happening!! I won't let it! My mission is to kill him, not to 'yearn for his touch'! _I thought to myself. I had to stop thinking of this. I HAD to take my mind off of it somehow. What to do…ah! Fencing. When I fenced, I put my whole mind into the parries and thrusts of the sport, leaving none behind for impractical thinking. I grabbed my sword and headed off to the practice courts I had seen when I had arrived at the estate for the first time.

I walked along a dirt path set with cobblestones and ferns on either side of it, towering over me. I had the sensation that I was in the tropics, where exotic plants and sunny days are common. About ten minutes later, I arrived at the door of the court. This one was a large, polished oak door, with exquisite carvings of swordfights, hunting, and jousting. There was a large brass knob, which I turned. The court lights were awakened, each flashing on one by one, enlightening the expansive area. There were bleachers on either ends of the dueling center. I guessed that sometimes duals were held for entertainment here, much like the Middle Ages. There was another door, this one also of oak and accompanied by a large brass knob, but no carvings were found on the door. I turned the knobs and pulled, walking into a dim, dusty room full of swordplay gear, wooden practice swords, metal swords, and all sorts of odds and ends. I flicked on the light switch, proceeding to rummage through the swords, admiring their craftwork. In the corner of the room was a restroom, which I used. I pulled on some tight but absolutely flexible breeches, a baggy white shirt with flowing sleeves, and a pair of black, supple, leather boots. I pulled an emerald colored tunic over my head and settled it on top of the baggy white shirt and buckled my black sword-belt around my hips. I never failed to dress uniquely on the courts, preferring to go all-out and use the medieval style of clothing. It was just more interesting that way.

I sheathed my sword and stepped out of the restroom, only to find the lights turned off. _That's weird…I thought I was the only one here…_ I searched the premises, reluctantly finding nothing suspicious. I walked out cautiously into the indoor arena, searching for something, but finding nothing. Hoping to provoke the coward into coming out of his or her hiding spot, I spoke.

"Ah, so it seems that it is just you and me, coward. You might as well come out and face me…" I shouted, echoing throughout the seemingly empty arena. I heard a rustle from the shadowed corner of the bleachers. I turned slowly and found myself face-to-face with that nasty bugger Fowl.

"So it seems, Greenwich, so it seems. Well, you got what you wanted. Here I am, facing you… What do you plan to do now?"

"Actually, I hadn't thought up that part yet, if you must know. Maybe I'll spit at you, or jab this sword straight through your black heart. Oh wait, I almost forgot… you don't have one! Silly me!" I retorted.

"Now, now. Tsk, Miss Greechwich, we wouldn't be wanting an unemployment matter on your record, would we?" he asked.

"What? You know as well as I do that Mr. Butler over there handles the employment of people. You have no authority to fire me."

"Do I? Well, I suppose you are correct, but I still may file a complaint to Butler about your behavior… Threatening the heir of the estate, talking smart, even I dare say seducing and trying to kill him, am I right?"

My eyes widened. Seduce? No. Kill? Yes. Had he found out my plan already? I was in utter shock. All I could do was stare at him with loathing, my green eyes flashing.

If looks were knives, he would have been to Hell and back 10 times.

"Well, then, now that you have gotten that bundle of lies out of your system, I think I shall be leaving now." I replied haughtily. "Tah."

I felt something smack my left shoulder. I turned my head to look only to have the tip of a silver sword prick my cheek. I watched as a drop of blood dripped onto the blade. I raised my eyebrow quizzically.

"Now, now, Miss Greenwich, or should I say Prime Assassin of C19 7, won't you stay for a dance?" Artemis had insulted me many times before, but this was the last straw. I whirled around catching my blade on his.

"I daresay I would love to, Master Fowl." Ugh. He sickened me sometimes.

He thrust the blade towards me and I parried, the sharp metal missing me by mere inches. I thrust my sword downwards and up, intending to disarm him, but to no avail. He blocked my attack. Our swords were locked together, bringing us, scowling, face-to-face once more.

"I did my research, Greenwich, and I discovered that not only are you an experienced agent, but that the maid job was just a ploy to murder me. What do you intend to do now that your covers been blown to smithereens?" he grunted.

"I plan to kill you as soon as possible. Are you the only one who knows?" I asked.

"Yes, but I have the ability to spread the word to every… single… " he ground out these words especially, "…person… in the manor in mere minutes." How right he was. Our blades unlocked, causing a loud screeching noise of metal on metal that caused me to wince. He whirled around, slashing the front on my tunic. "About the whole killing process… how to you intend to do it when you have feelings for me?"

This comment made me seethe with anger. How DARE he ask such a question?! "Feelings? What 'feelings'? I feel nothing except loathe for you, Fowl." With this last reply, I flipped my weapon up, catching on the hilt of Artemis's, flinging the sword into the air and onto the ground. I lunged at him, intending to stab him right there and then. However, when I lunged, he dodged, throwing himself to the ground grabbing his sword. I had my sword gripped in two hands, ready to deliver the killing blow, when suddenly my legs were kicked out from under me and I was disarmed. I dropped the sword in the confusion, the twinkling blade flying from my hands and landing about 4 feet away from where my arms lay. Fowl pointed the sword at the base of my throat, running the tip of the blade along my neckline, leisurely drawing blood. My white blouse was stained with it now, as was the tip of the sword. He pointed the sword at the tip of my nose and said:

"You think you are so witty, trying to catch me off guard. You admitted yourself the night before that you felt things for me, aside from loathe and anger. You said it yourself. 'I…Love…You.'" He put special emphasis on each word, all the while putting even MORE emphasis on them with dramatic hand gestures from his left hand, the right one being preoccupied with holding the sword at the bridge of my nose. He carried on with his comments, speaking more to himself and the air than to me. "Maybe along with posing as a maid, you're posing as a whore? Hmm…that IS a thought to think about…"

"Damn you, Fowl. I hate you. I..HATE..YOU. I loathe you with every fibre of my being." I replied, glaring at him with contempt.

"Ah, tsk tsk, Amalia. I'm afraid that's not the idea that I got from your actions last night." He stated, full of himself.

"If I'm not mistaken, ARTEMIS, you quite enjoyed the 'actions' that you got from me last night. Or at least a certain body part did…" I responded. "Now, if we're done with this petty name calling, I think I'm going to go change into my costume for a certain masquerade tonight." I turned on my heels and made to walk out of the arena.

"Yes, Butler told me that you might be going. He requested that I escort you."

"Never. I don't mingle with the likes of you."

"But it seems to me that you already have." He winked. "Either you go with me so I can keep an eye on you, or I tell of your intentions to the whole household. Hm? How does that sound, Miss Greenwich?"

I had no choice. If they found out my intentions to kill Fowl, they'd kill me. Kill or be killed. "You bloody bastard." I was surprised by what happened next. He slapped me. Obviously I had touched a nerve.

"No more of that, either, Greenwich. I will see you tonight at the ball."

"Hmph…bloody bastard…" I muttered to myself.

**Well another chappie has come and gone. THANKS TO ALL MY REVIEWERS OUT THERE!! Even the mean ones, I guess.**

**Here's a question for all of you: **

**Should I write chapter 15 in Artemis's PoV??**

**See that blue button down there? yes that one.**

**Review.******

**And tell me.**

**gReeNeYedeLfguRL13**


	15. BIG IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE

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**THIS IS AN A/N PEOPLE**

**There are some things I would like to discuss.**

**First of all: my character is NOT a Mary-Sue as people seem to want to believe. I try extremely hard to keep my character from being a Mary-Sue because I DESPISE Mary-Sues. They can go to hell.**

** If you think my character IS a Mary-Sue, then please, by all means, ENLIGHTEN me as to how I can shape up my character and I promise I will.**

**Second of all: THERE ARE 12 CHAPTERS IN 'CHAPTER' 1!! I'm assuming that you already know that because you wouldn't have skipped 2 chapters to get to chapter 3…if you did…well then get some help. But that's your choice to skip, not mine.**

**Third: I need some input… for chapter 15 I was thinking of doing it in Arty's PoV… tell me, dear reviewers, if that would please you.**

**FOURTH AT PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FIC-WISE: That night when Artemis and Amalia kissed and said 'I Love You', I admit that was so damn lame it's unbelievable, but pay no attention to that line. It was merely a ploy in the story to get it spinning. Amalia now hates him. She basically discovers that she was just caught up in the moment. You'll find out about Artemis if I do the Fowl PoV.**

**Fifth: One reviewer said that fencing was a sport not a match to the death. Good point. I know nowadays you kill people with guns and all the works, not swords, but this is a fanFICTION. Besides, Amalia is an assassin who's in it basically for the good pay because there's no one else to support her. She's gonna kill Artemis in any way possible; she doesn't care how, as long as she gets paid and Miss Magnoliana stops bugging her. She basically wants the pay so she can 'retire' I guess, and stop working at the agency.**

**And apologies to all: I am terribly sorry that I didn't update sooner.**


	16. Of Dirty Laundry and Insults

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A/N: HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER! Expect more; I just got surgery on my teeth and the doctor dude said all I can do basically is sit around all day for a couple days. I'll try to get those chapters out quickly. THANKS…AND DON'T FORGET!! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! :] my goal is 40! C'mon you guys…you can do it!! Whoo-whoo!

THANKS TO:

**Remus**** Junior- Thank you! Yes, I'll try to make my character even MORE un-Mary-Sue-like for everyone. Keep reviewing!!**

**Dr. Whom- I'm very glad your enjoying this story. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside haha. Thanks much for the suggestions! Keep up the good reviews.**

**Archaos****- Thanks for the compliment on my story and character!! It's very appreciated, I assure you. Thanks again, and good luck on your story, too! Remember: Review, review, review, please!!**

**THANKS TO ALL OF MY OTHER LOVELIES OUT THURR!! [hehe cool word.] YOUR REVIEWS ARE VERY NOICE!! [haha ANOTHER cool word…]**

**Chapter 14**

** Of Dirty Laundry and Insults**

I walked down the path and back to my room. _I should have bloody worn a helmet,_ I thought as I felt my neck. No blood; but for all I knew it was probably dried and smeared on my skin. I took out my keys (they came with my maid occupation), and unlocked the back door, the one less frequently used, so no one would see my neck. I crept along the side wall. Hopefully I wouldn't run into anyone on the way to the stairwell. I heard a thumping noise down the North hallway.

What or who was that?

I tensed up, stilling so I could hear which direction the sound was heading in. To no avail, though, because all I accomplished was a thorough listening of the sound of the beating of my own blood-pumping heart. I quickly surveyed my surroundings, searching for a play to duck into and hide. I was standing right next to the library, a grand one at that. I hurried in, looking around for a shadowed area or a covered table; a space behind a couch.

I could find none.

Looking around frantically, I heard the footsteps once more. They were coming this way! _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit…_I cursed to myself. I did a double take towards the door. _Somewhere to hide…somewhere to hide…_

Then I spotted it.

There was a bookshelf that was spaced about two feet from the dusty, amber-colored wall. I ran towards it quietly, only to trip over a large encyclopedia on sailing and fall flat on my already dirt-covered face. _NO!!_ I shouted to myself in my head. _NO, NO, NO!! _The thing walking rounded the corner to the library. I picked my self up as fast as I possibly could, and brushed myself off. I took the backs of my hands and wiped off the dirt and sand from my cheeks. I quickly turned around and pretended to examine a painting of Jesus and the Betrayal of Judas. Butler walked in.

"Miss Greenwich? You've been shirking your duties as maid…if you don't start doing your job instead of flouncing and nancing [A/N nifty word, huh?] about the building, I will have no choice but to terminate your employment."

I gulped. He continued speaking: "Amalia, you have dirty laundry piled up, the furniture needs dusting, the rooms upstairs need vacuuming, and beds making. I suggest you get on with that after a change of clothes."

"Yes, sir," I mumbled.

"Butler. I already told you, call me Butler," he said.

"Yes, Butler." I replied. I still didn't get the whole "Butler" thing. That's always been one of my weaknesses. A bit slow to detect what's going on and how systems work. Along with my sword fighting and chess playing. I don't think I've EVER won a game of chess. But, whatever.

"Now," Butler patted me on the shoulder, "I suggest you start now or else even more things will pile up." He smiled down at me. "Good luck, Miss Amalia."

"Thanks." He turned out of the room and down the opposite hall he came by. Just as I was leaving the library, a cart of linens came reeling down the corridor, almost bowling me over. I lost my footing trying to get out of the way and fell over. Another weakness: I'm terribly clumsy. At first, I thought it was just a puberty thing, but obviously not. Miss M said it would be downfall one day. Butler stepped out from behind the cart.

"These are to go on Master and Mistress Fowl's bed; in the main bedroom." He pointed to a pair of white, starched sheets and a gold, tasseled coverlet. "This is Master Artemis II's." Once again, he pointed to some perfectly starched, clean, white sheets, but this time coupled with a coverlet quilted with a pattern of midnight blue and grey. He motioned to the corner of the cart. "These are yours." There were white sheets and a red coverlet with night black tassels. There were still many colored coverlets, quilts, and white sheets left.

"The rest…?" I asked, trailing off.

"The rest just go to each guestroom, the coverlets coordinating with the rooms' décor. Choose as you see fit." He answered. I took the cart and pushed it to the maids' ramp, guided by Butler. I carted the basket up the ramp and began making the beds and dusting the furniture. After about an hour and forty-five minutes of this tedious work, I went around again with a different cart, picking up and emptying the hampers, spilling socks and shirts all over the floor. I sighed and picked them up, wheeling the full carts downstairs to the laundry room one at a time. Sweating now, I headed back to the stairway again, ascending the stairs and trudging to my room. I flopped down on the newly-made bed, after wearily closing the giant wooden door, rumpling the blankets I had worked so hard to straighten. I groaned, sliding down the side of the bed and landing on the wooden floor on my bottom. Maybe I wasn't cut out for this. I sighed again. It wasn't as if I could just pick up and leave. Well, I could, but I'd have Fowl and M&M on my trail. With their technology combined, there would be no escape.

I eyed the clock on the nightstand and swore. The Halloween Masquerade was in an hour! _Damnit__!_ I thought. I picked up my costume from my trunk and laid the articles out on the bed. A pair of slit and cut black breeches (slit and cut so they would look worn), some black gloves with the fingers cut out, a white, billowy shirt, gold hoop earrings, silver and gold bangle bracelets, a red leather vest, a black, wide, leather belt with a hook for a sword in it. There was a red bandanna and a black, leather tri-corn hat. The tan boots were knee-high, folded over slightly at the kneecaps. There was an assortment of rings with fake jewels set into them, also. I pulled all of this on as quickly as I possibly could. I stumbled into my boots with difficulty, hopping throughout the room. Finally, I ended up tripping, knocking over the hat stand with a loud _clunk!._

There was a knock at the door. "Greenwich? Are you in there? We must depart."

I hurried to the door, lacing up the brown, short leather corset around my lower waist and hips. I tied the bow and opened the door. "Okay, okay, just let me grab my mask…" I answered. I tied a long, plum-colored scarf around my neck to hide the cut and grabbed my black feathery mask. I walked back to the door and was about to stroll out, but noticed Fowl staring at me. Well, actually at my breasts. "What? What?!"

"Ahem…" he cleared his throat. "Don't you think you should lace that up before we leave?" He looked a bit uncomfortable. "Also, your boots are on the wrong feet." He smirked a little at this last comment, probably inwardly amused at my stupidity and clumsiness.

"Oh. Well…can you just…hold on a moment?" I mumbled, embarrassed. Yes, he was definitely amused, and even more so at MY embarrassment.

I closed the door and turned around, lacing up my shirt, beet red. I yanked off my boots and switched them, re-lacing them up all over again. I stuffed a pistol into my corset and sheathed my sword. Hopefully people might think it fake. I pushed a knife down into my right boot and examined my image in the mirror. My curly hair was mussed and my eyeliner and mascara smeared, but oh well. I had never been the best at applying make-up. I had decided not to use my flat iron like I usually do, hence the curls.

I walked out of the room and locked the door behind me.

"Ready?" Fowl questioned.

"I guess. Anything ELSE wrong with me?" I retorted.

He answered mockingly. "Well, now that you ask, I can think of many things to improve fencing-wise…" He trailed off smugly, raising an eyebrow.

I glared at him. "Oh, really?"

"Yes. Quite frankly you…how you Americans put it…sucked? Yes. Sucked."

What a bastard! I KNEW full well that I sucked, but he didn't need to rub it in, that pathetic cad. We walked out of the front door and to a black sedan waiting in the driveway. Butler was at the wheel.

"Can we just leave now?" I asked, insulted.

"Why certainly, Miss Greenwich. I think that can be arranged." He replied. We sped off in the Sedan, towards the road. Once on the freeway, it took only about fifteen minutes to reach the ball area. I saw great flashing lights in the near distance. [A/N: Hey, it makes sense to me.] A few minutes later we pulled up under the great archway of the entrance to the extravagant building. More like palace, really. I hopped out of the car, my tan boots making a clunk on the concrete. Artemis waved off Butler and offered me his arm. Reluctantly, I took it, raising my eyebrows. I could hear music playing inside the ballroom.

_Here goes nothing…,_I thought.

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**So how was that? I hope you liked it. **

**2 4 6 8, WHO DO WE APPRECIATE?! REVIEWERS!! Yeah! Psst- that's your cue to review. Hopefully no flames.**

**Would you like it if I did the next chappie in Artemis's PoV for a change?? Review and tell me.**

**.gReeNeYedeLfguRL13.**


	17. Of Dances and Discoveries

****

**A/N: WHOA. I GOT A ****LOT**** OF REVIEWS FOR THE LAST 2 CHAPPIES!! Thank you all so much!! I feel special now. [and don't say haha yeah special ed..] You all are so lovely. My lovely lovelies. Well, as for a change in the story: this chappie's gonna be in ARTEMIS'S PoV. Yes, that's right Artemis. At first, I was just going to do this for a change in the story…a little variety, you know? But then a reviewer said that it would be good because then instead of just seeing Amalia's view on everything, you would see Artemis's view, too, along with what he thinks of Amalia.**

**Well, I believe some thanks are in order.**

**Dr. Whom- I'm so glad you're flattered. You've become one of my favorite reviewers. [And I'm not just saying that either.] Yeah, I know the pain of how English teachers talk. My old English teacher used to say stuff like 'Bravo' and 'Dandy', too. It got extremely annoying after awhile. Keep reviewing please, O Ye Faithful Reviewer.**

**Dragon-breeder92- I'm so happy you like my story! Major compliments. You should write a story, too. I'll look forward to reading it. You are one evil person, hehe. Nahh…I don't know if I'm going to humiliate Artemis…yet. But I like evil people, so that's just okay! I love the great reviews! Keep 'em up!!**

**La-dee-da22- I'm glad you like my story. Keep up the reviews!**

**Remus**** Junior- Yes, I suppose it IS cool that Arty's a bastard. Heh heh.**

**The CheezHead- THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE SUGGESTIONS! Haha…a cheerleader on speed. They will come in handy, I mean it. Once again, thank you! And don't forget to review!**

**And to all my other stupendous reviewers! Mwah! Now on with the story…muahahahaha. **

**........**

**Chapter 15**

**Of Dances and Discoveries**

**-ARTEMIS'S POV-**

I offered Amalia my arm, and she took it, although it seemed with much reluctance. She cleared her throat. "So…erm…should we go in?" She asked.

"Yes, I believe so." I answered.

We walked in, the flashing lights bouncing off the crystal and diamond chandeliers blinding my eyes. The ballroom certainly was beautiful. The tiled floor was polished to high shine and a pleasing, oak color. Magnificent paintings hung all over the gigantic room. A small quartet was situated in the corner of the ballroom, playing a lilting tune. People in costumes and all different kinds of masks danced about, or were sipping punch and probably beer, judging by the looks of their appearance.

I checked my mask, making sure it was securely on. That night I was dressed as Zorro. I had spiked my hair, something I rarely do. As a matter of fact, I don't think I remember ever doing it, quite frankly. I was surprised that Butler had let me go to the Halloween Masquerade unaccompanied by him. Normally he insists on escorting me everywhere outside of the Manor, as much as I protest sometimes. But there's a first time for everything, I suppose. A familiar, frustrated voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Fowl? Fowl?!" I snapped my head around. "Okay. I'm going to go get something to drink, alright?" Greenwich asked me.

"Go ahead; It's fine with me." I replied. She looked at me for a couple seconds, but rolled her eyes and swaggered away, sticking her hand out into the face of a nearby young man, obviously telling him to get out of her face. I chuckled to myself. _At least she's got attitude…although I must admit, it will be her downfall, _I thought to myself. I looked over in her direction again. _Hopefully she won't try anything sneaky tonight. _I sat down, propping my leg up on another chair next to me. I casually leaned down, pretending to tie a bootlace, while actually feeling for the knife I had taken from my father's study and shoved into my boot. Finding it there, I patted it, smirking. I barely knew how to use it professionally, but I felt safer with it there. There was also a matching sword at my waist, which made me feel even safer. At least I knew how to use THAT.

I stood up and surveyed my surroundings, examining all of the dancing shapes and forms. I looked over into a knot of pretty, young girls and caught a couple of them looking at me. They immediately turned away, blushing slightly. I frowned. Another thing I didn't know how to deal with. Girls. I sighed and walked over to them. "Hello…My name is Artemis. Yours is…?" I trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air.

A girl with blonde locks dressed up as the Tragic Queen fanned herself and replied: "My name is Erin. Erin O'Malley. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Artemis." She held out her hand, letting it dangle, suspended in the air. I looked down at it, not sure what to do. I took it into my own, bending over slightly and brushed my lips against it. The girls behind her giggled giddily.

I cleared my throat. "Ahem…" I heard the band strike up a slow song in the distance. "Would you…er…like to dance…Miss O'Malley?" I looked down at my boots, blushing a little, but nothing compared to the Tragic Queen's face.

"Oh! Why, yes! I'd love to! Thank you!" She responded, taken aback with surprise. Her friends all looked on with jealousy. I wasn't quite sure why they were jealous. I'd never danced with a girl before, except a couple daughters of some of my father's "business" partners at formal parties. Even then, that was awhile back. Not entirely sure of what to do, I led her out onto the ballroom floor.

The dance was what seemed to me a waltz. I panicked…how does one waltz? I had absolutely no clue. The girl looked up at me and I guess saw the uncertainty in my eyes. "Um…" I was embarrassed a bit.

"It's simple, don't worry. She took one of my hands and bent the fingers around her petite ones. Another hand took mine and placed around her waist. She placed her hand on top of my shoulder and began speaking into my ear. "1,2,3…step to the count, Artemis. 1…2…3…Very good. You're getting it quickly." I soon found my way and was dancing exceptionally in my opinion, but probably terribly if you asked an innocent bystander. I shifted my weight and looked at the girl dangling on my shoulder. She seemed…perfect. Almost too perfect. Something was most likely wrong. The hairs on the back of neck pricked up a little. _What's going on? This is just some random girl you've decided to dance with. Nothing could possibly be wrong…it's just some random young woman, _I reassured myself. I looked over my shoulder and noticed a familiar lady pirate staring. She looked away quickly, throwing her head back and downing her punch, a light red tinge creeping into her cheeks. I smirked, thinking smugly to myself, _Ha. Serves her right._ I inched Erin and me over a bit closer to the punch bowl, so I could fully rub it in that I was dancing with some other girl rather than Amalia.

She glared at me and moved over a bit so that she was farther away than before. She looked disgusted, but that was her problem. Not my own. I looked down at my dance partner again. She WAS perfect. She looked back up at me with chocolate-colored eyes. "Something wrong?" She asked innocently.

"No…nothing. Just thinking," I said.

"Oh, I see. Hopefully I'm in your thoughts?" She grinned up at me seductively. I looked at her again and leaned in, fully prepared to kiss her, when I my eyes caught a movement in the corner, near the punch bowl. My eyes scanned the area, looking for something suspicious, but I fund nothing. I leaned in again, whispering an apology. This time our lips met. When I broke apart from her, I saw something moving, more like thrashing, again in the shadows.

"Can you excuse me for a moment...?" I faltered. _This can't be happening. The best kiss in my life and I…I forgot her name! _"Ahem…" I cleared my throat once more. She looked at me with anger, disgust, and lust.

"You FORGOT my name?!" She slapped me with all of the force in her delicate hand. "I cannot BELIEVE YOU!" She stamped off to her knot of admirers, pouting. I felt my burning cheek with one hand. _Women,_ I thought to myself. I walked off into the direction of the thrashing. As I got closer I heard a shriek and shout.

"What the hell are you doing?! LET GO OF ME!" I heard a smack and saw a disgruntled pirate run out from behind the refreshment table. In my rush to get to the place, I headed straight into the figure, causing us both to fall over, the young woman falling on top of me. I looked at her.

It was Amalia.

"What happened? What's going on?" I asked. "Why were you behind the table?" She rolled off of me. Just then a medium-height young man stepped out from behind the table, his fists balled up, ready to strike. I felt my boot, making sure the knife was still there. My hand lingered there, poised to pull it out, no matter how inexperienced I was with it.

"Amalia! Get over here! You need to leave here! HURRY! Let's GO!" the young man emphasized his words with dramatic hand gestures. He has night-black, curly hair, very similar to Amalia's. They looked a lot alike, except instead of emerald colored eyes, the young man had more honey-toned orbs. When I looked at them, it felt like they were piercing my very soul. He motioned to her once again. "Come ON, Amalia. Don't disobey me!" He raised his hand in a threatening manner.

"Shut up, Pat! SHUT UP!" She shrieked. People were starting to turn around and look at us curiously, now.

_Pat? Who's Pat? Who IS this young man?_ It suddenly dawned on me. I remembered the research I had done on her. Supposedly her whole family had been killed off. Her mother, her father, her little cousin Camille, and her older brother…

_Pat._ Where were they leaving? Why? "Can we take this outside, please, sir?" I asked, trying to be civil. What was going on here?

"Yes, Pat. Please." She pleaded.

"Alright…I suppose. Let's step out." He consented. He grabbed Amalia's arm and pulled her towards the door. I didn't like the way he handled her. _Did I just think that? Why should I care how he handles her? She not my problem._ But still, as I looked at her, she looked suddenly dejected, depressed, downcast. And the way he handled her still bothered me. He acted as if she were some sort of prize he had won and didn't want to share with the others. We picked a small picnic table off to the side of the archway entrance. I took the time to examine "Pat". He was dressed as a soldier, with a camouflage scarf with holes for eyes tied around his forehead and around his honey-brown orbs.

I heard someone mumble something incoherent. "Don't talk to me that way, bitch." Her brother shouted. He was obviously drunk. He raised his hand to strike her once more, but I stopped him.

"Don't."

Butler drove up just then and honked the horn. We all looked up like deer caught in the headlights. "Time to go, everyone. Come now, hop into the car."

I turned to Pat. "Would you like to come back with us, and we can discuss these matters further?" I asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I would." He slurred. I went and told Butler, whispering to him to keep his eye on him. Butler acted all smiles, patting the seat next to him up front when Pat stumbled to the car, caught up in a drunk stupor. In the meantime, I escorted Greenwich to the seat in the back, so her brother couldn't eavesdrop on us. Not that that would happen anyway: Butler was chatting up a storm, all the while throwing glances back at us.

I looked at Amalia. "Are you alright? What happened?" I questioned.

"I'm fine…I'm fine…just…nothing happened. Nothing. Don't worry about it. It's not your concern." She suddenly became defensive.

I shrugged, trying to do so inside, but I couldn't get the image out of how he dragged her by her arm out of the building. "Are you sure?" No answer. "Amalia? Are you sure you're okay?" I repeated. Once more, no answer. I looked over to her, chuckling a bit at what I saw. She was slumped over, fast asleep, snoring slightly. _Haha__, what a sight,_ I thought. I reached over and nervously put my arm around her shoulder, afraid to wake her up. That girl had a bloody anger problem. I pulled her towards me until she was resting on my chest and shoulder area. I shifted uncomfortably. Amalia said something incoherent in her sleep and let out a loud snore. I rolled my eyes. _Women.___

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**Well? Should I do that more often? Tell me if I should and I'll consider it! Keep the reviews comin' people!! My goal's 40!! Come on! I'm not adding the next chapter until Review #40. COME ON!! GIT THOSE FINGERS TYPIN' YE SCURVEY DOGS!!**

**Ok, well then. Another chappie has come and gone.**

**-Sniff- I remember those days when I wrote my first chapter… -sniff- 'Kay, I'm done. Haha, yeah I know…that was scary.**

**gReeNeYedeLfguRL13**


	18. Close Calls

****

**A/N: I present to y'all the next chapter…y'all. Oh, I am so proud of my Southern heritage. Indeed. THANK YOU ALL REVIEWERS! Even critical ones, because when they reviewed, that means they read my story, which means they read through the summaries of many stories and decided upon my own. [big grin] Yay! GO REVIEWERS!!!**

**Remus**** Junior****- Yes, you could say he's normal. Well, as a normal as Artemis Fowl is going to get [which isn't a lot.]. No…I don't think I'm normal either. You're not alone. I bet I CAN say snickerdoodle faster than you!! SNICKERDOODLE! Haha look at that. [-triumph..walkes around proudly and runs straight into the wall..-] I'm okay, I'm okay. Keep up the awesome reviews man! You've become one of my favorite reviewers.**

**Dr Whom-**** I DO think Dr Whom would be a splendid name. It's very unique. Never heard of it before. Nice work on the revews! Keep it up! I loved your review. Haha…offensively cutesie. And actually O'Malley was inspired by a person in my school named Grace O'Malley. Thanks Grace if you're reading this hehe.**

**The CheezHead-**** Thank you for the very good tips on my fic.**** I appreciate them very much. NOTE TO ALL REVIEWERS: THIS REVIEWER IS THE BEST AT CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISISM. Take notes from The CheezHead. And remember, review, review, review.**

**Dranius******** I never did notice that Fowl spelled Wolf. He is a bit like a wolf, isn't he? Haha, yes. But wolves are cool. Thanks for the compliments. I'll take your advice. THANK YOU FOR IT. I might consider adding a bit of your idea in…..but you'll just have to wait and see. –grins evilly- If I do, I'll dedicate the chapter to you. Keep reviewing!! Review, review, review. You know the drill.**

**Dani**** D-**** Thank you for the compliment! Your review boosted my self esteem several notches. –beams- Heh heh. Keep on reviewin'!!**

**Alatira-Intelar******** Once again: thanks for the compliments. Snaps for you. –snap snap- Don't be crushed…I got the next chappie goin'! Tehehe.**

**Archaos********Yes, I'll need the luck, thank you. AND THE PLOT THICKENS! Thanks for the compliments also. Keep up the great reviews! I'm glad you're reading my story.**

**moony's**** mystery-****Saratoga? Ha. Awesome review. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzley inside. [Heh heh….fuzzley….. :P] Review again, please!!!**

**Also thanks to****: Ruinsul! She is the best. –smiles- GO RUINSUL…..YEAH!! Wh-hoo.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl. Unfortunately. Eoin Colfer is awesome. Nope, the only thing I own is the plot and my character, Amalia Greenwich. And that crazy lady in chapter 2 and 3. Haha…she was a cool cat. :P I kind of modeled her after my math teacher….and if you're reading this…you're a cool cat Mrs D. Heh heh.**

**Now…..I know you all have been waiting for this. ON WITH THE FIC, SHALL WE? Okay. Here y'all go.**

**Chapter 17**

**Close Calls**

**Amalia's PoV**

I couldn't believe it. My brother Patrick had come back. _But…Didn't he die?_ I thought to myself. A little voice in the back of my head said _'Well, obviously not.'_

I thought he had died in the terrible accident. Mom, Dad, and Camille had died. Unless they were miraculously alive and wandering around the Earth, too. Which I highly doubted. This led to question:

How did he survive? And where had Pat been all of these years? Which eventually led to:

Why had he suddenly come back?

I thought about this. There was no money in the accounts. Miss M had drained what little there was of it, that was for sure. So he couldn't have come back for money. There was nothing valuable about me. Or so I thought. I lay there in bed, thinking, wondering WHY. Why me? WHY?! Why was Pat back? Had someone sent him? How did he find me? Where has he been? Questions bombarded my head until finally I shook myself under the covers, attempting to free my brain of these confusing thoughts. To no avail, though. Seconds later they came back.

I wondered where Pat was now. No doubt that sneaky Fowl boy and his manservant Butler had put him in secure albeit comfortable quarters. They certainly could afford such a thing. I turned over on my side. I groaned. Just when I thought my life couldn't get any more complicated, Patrick had to show up. I had turned nineteen on October 17. Yippee. Another birthday noticed by no one. As usual.

My mind went back to when I first joined C19 7. I sighed. Those were the simple days. All I had to do basically was make beds, run errands, and file papers. Of course, I was never to look at the papers under any circumstances. The guard at the door and his friend Mister Fist made sure of that. No…I didn't get my first assignment until I was seventeen. At the time I was overjoyed. Now, I know I should have quit this foul agency a LONG time ago. Yes, my first assignment was the London ordeal. Fighting on Big Ben. Nearly falling out of the window inside of the gigantic clock tower. By a stroke of luck, the chime for three o'clock went off, deafening the foe temporarily. If it wasn't for that…well, let's just say you wouldn't have to worry about my babbling.

I thought through the night. Finally falling asleep around four forty-five. The next thing I knew, there was a knock at my door. A woman's distinctly Irish voice reminded me of my duties at the Fowl Manor.

"Miss! Amalia! It is eight o'clock sharp and ye have ta be startin' the beds now," the woman said.

I groaned inwardly and sat up in bed, taking a peek in the mirror at what resembled a dust mop, but was actually my hair. "Oh! Yeah…I'll be right out. Sorry." I replied.

"Just make it quick. The beds aren't goin' ta make themselves, ya know."

"Yes, yes, I know." I muttered to myself, under my breath. I heard the click of heels down the corridor. The woman had left. I stood up and stretched, trying to cover a big yawn. I peered up at the camera through half-open eyes. I grabbed my clothes from the drawer: A white t-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and a black apron/smock. I moved to the blond spot of the camera, in the corner by the window, and changed. I headed to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, put my hair up into a messy bun, and splashed water on my face, all in a rush. In my haste, I got water all over the waist and neck of the smock. _Great…,I_ thought. I brushed the water off, thankful that the smock was semi-waterproof.

I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Once again, I was amazed by the architecture of the Manor. I have been here for over a month now and yet I am still amazed. Amazing. So busy was I, looking that a painting while walking, I didn't notice a maid coming down the hallway with a full laundry basket, all of the garments neatly folded and starched. I backed away from the painting, walking backwards. (Stupid mover, I know, I know.) I barreled straight into the maid coming down the hallway, who was looking behind her, chatting with a woman dusting an ancient vase. Laundry went everywhere. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I…I'm so sorry! I was…I didn't see…You were coming down and...—"

The woman cut me off. The had brown, mousy hair, streaked with gray, pulled back into a tight bun. "Stop! Stop, stop, stop! Just help me pick this up, and we shall deal with the consequences afterwards." I knelt on the carpeted floor, picking up and folding each shirt, sheet, and towel one by one. It was a slow and tedious process, but the elderly maid stood by and surveyed my every move. This made my fingers fumble, causing me to drop shirts or fold them incorrectly. She tut-tutted the whole way through. I breathed an audible sigh of relief when I placed the last piece of clothing into the basket, but quickly cleared my throat, hoping she wouldn't notice the sigh.

She grabbed my arm. "Come, Miss Amalia. We need to pay a visit to Mister Dominic." _Oh, no,_ I thought,_ Not __Butler__…_ I was in for it now.

She led me through a complex maze of corridors and rooms, finally ending at an office/study that was a deep hue of green, bordered with all types of woods. A black, micro-fiber-finished desk sat in the middle. Mounted on it was a flatscreen modem and a black keyboard. Next to it was a silver laptop, the peek of technology. "Sir? Mister Dominic, sir? Might I have a word with you?" Butler looked up from the monitor of the laptop. The constant tapping noise stopped. He must have been typing something.

"Why certainly, Ms. Spiel. Please step inside." Butler motioned to a door labeled 'Conference'. Nope…this was not going to pretty. He looked over Ms. Spiel's shoulder and saw me at the door. Immediately, from his change of expression, I sensed he knew that they were going to 'have a word' about. I turned around and stared out the window. All I could do now was wait.

Ms. Spiel followed him into the conference room and the door clicked shut behind them. I walked to the door and lightly put my ear to it, hoping I could hear tiny bits of conversation. To no avail; the room was soundproofed.

After approximately ten minutes of talking, Butler and Ms. Spiel emerged from the room. "Ahem…" Butler cleared his throat, a fist to his mouth. "Miss Greenwich, may I speak to you? It shouldn't take too long." I nodded and followed him into the room. "Please, take a seat, Miss Greenwich." He waved towards a leather chair at the side of the clear glass conference table. I fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Amalia." Uh oh. He was referring to me by my first name…this couldn't be good. "I understand you had a little mishap today in the halls? Please explain yourself."

I gulped, turning red. "Well, um…you see…uh…I was looking at something, and I didn't see her coming…and then I bumped into her…but I folded everything back up! Nothing's wrinkled! Everything's fine now!" I protested, seeing his face hardening by the second.

"Amalia…this can't keep happening. You are frequently having incidents similar to this one. I get the feeling you just aren't putting your all into this position." He paused. "I'm afraid I'm just going to have t—"

I cut him off. I couldn't help it. "No! Please, sir! I'm sorry! Please! Just give me another chance…I'll do everything right! I promise! Please." I pleaded.

"Amalia! How many chances have I given you? I am I going to have to keep giving you chances? You cannot keep this up!" Butler stood up. "Fine. One more chance. But this is your last. Ruin this one, and there are no more following it. It'll be the boot for you." I jumped up.

"THANK YOU!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" I shook his hand feverishly.

Butler laughed. Never such a girl had he seen before. "Alright, alright. Now get to work. You have a lot to accomplish before the day is over." I walked, no, skipped practically, out of his office. I was just happy to be still employed. As much as I hated cleaning, I almost liked my workdays. The fellow maids made it more enjoyable. And there was the pay. That was a definite bonus.

I thought to myself. _That was a close call. Might be best to avoid laundry baskets for awhile. _I chuckled and busied myself changing the pillow cases of the bedrooms.

!i!i!i!i!i!i

**Well, that was chapter 17, people!! Hope you liked it. I am taking Dranius's advice and doing the chapters Amalia's PoV, Arty's, Amalia's, Arty's, etc. It'll be a nice change.**

**THANK YOU DRANIUS!!!**

**Now—REVIEW PEOPLE! YOU ALL KNOW THE DRILL. I'm going for 50 now. **

**UNTIL I GET THE 50TH REVIEW…NO CHAPPIE 17!! Buahaha…evil says you? Indeed says I.**

**Artemis: You really are evil. Without technological sources, either, I must add.**

**GEEF13: Really? –smirks- We would make an evil crime team. But I get the Mafia.**

**Artemis: Oh. Well I'm in the story, so therefore I do as I please.**

**GEEF13: Technically no, because I write what you do. And if I feel like…I could write something naaaaaughtyyy… -wiggles eyebrows-**

**Artemis: ****BUTLER**

**GEEF13: Must go! Tah! –winks at Artemis and runs off-**

**Artemis: -shudder- Is she always evil to such an extent?**

**GEEF13's readers/reviewers: Yeah.**

**Muahaha****…REMEMBER THE REVIEW COUNT!! AND AS USUAL—REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!! You know the drills, dudes and dudettes.**

**.gReeNeYedeLfguRL13.**

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